Meta (formerly Facebook) today said that it has blocked access to several Russian state-controlled accounts in Ukraine. The social network added that it is also reviewing other governments’ requests to restrict access to these accounts in their countries.
Vice president of global affairs at Meta, Nick Clegg, tweeted on Monday that the company has been in contact with the Government of Ukraine.
“At their request, we have also restricted access to several accounts in Ukraine, including those belonging to some Russian state media organizations,” Clegg posted.
“We are also reviewing other government requests to restrict Russian state-controlled media,” he added.
Ukraine has also suggested that Meta remove access to Facebook and Instagram in Russia.
“However, people in Russia are using FB and IG to protest and organize against the war and as a source of independent information,” he informed.
“The Russian government is already throttling our platform to prevent these activities. We believe turning off our services would silence important expression at a crucial time,” he noted.
Meta (formerly Facebook) last weekend prohibited Russian state media from running ads or monetizing on its platform anywhere in the world.
“We’ve added several safety features in Ukraine, including the ability for people to lock their Facebook profile, removing the ability to view and search friends lists, and additional tools on Messenger,” the company informed.
